Read Online The Four Books by Carlos Rojas - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carlos Rojas
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Christ, the Child closed the book.
“For this volume,” the Child said, “I’ll give you a blossom for each pair of illustrations.”
The Theologian’s eyes sparkled with delight. So it came to pass. The Theologian was awarded fifteen blossoms. He posted all fifteen above his bed, where they resembled a row of inextinguishable lights.
5. Heaven’s Child , pp. 105–11
The Child went to the district seat.
The district seat was in a big town far away. It had buildings, roads, streetlamps, and buses. The Child was commended for his declaration that they would produce fifteen thousand jin of grain per mu . He was asked to attend a district meeting, and discovered that their assembly hall was several times larger than the county’s hall and that the blossoms they awarded were also much bigger. These were silk blossoms, which naturally were better than paper ones.
When the Child arrived in the district, he found that they were overturning heaven and earth and smelting steel. The district was promoting steel production even more enthusiastically.
Originally, the ninety-ninth didn’t smelt steel. The higher-ups had wanted them to focus on growing grain and producing fifteen thousand jin per mu . They even requested that the criminals plant a model field capable of producing those fifteen thousand jin per mu , so others from neighboring Re-Ed districts could come and observe.
But now, the ninety-ninth also had to overturn heaven and earth and start smelting steel.
When the Child returned, he didn’t make a public announcement, and instead merely said, “The higher-ups have a request—which is that on a certain day of a certain month we all go to the ninety-first, which is thirty li away. They want us to watch a performance. When that day arrives, we must go.” “Can we not go?” someone asked. “Yes,” the Child replied. “But everyone who goes will be awarded two blossoms, and everyone who doesn’t will have to forfeit two blossoms.” So, everyone went. They ate breakfast early, and were issued grain for lunch. Then, they headed west. The earth was supporting their feet as they trudged westward. After they had walked about thirty li , the sun was directly overhead and that Re-Ed district appeared in the shadows. It also had buildings and a courtyard wall. What was different, however, was that between the field and the dry riverbed, there was an earthen stage, and next to that there were two mud and clay furnaces for smelting steel. The furnaces looked like typical rural limestone or brick furnaces.
On the earthen stage, there was a row of characters that read, “Overturn heaven and earth, catch up with England and surpass America!” That solemn and striking language appeared on a red placard hanging on a railing in front of the stage. The railing was sitting in the sun, and sunlight was blindingly bright, shrouding the ninety-first in a golden glow. Everyone was gathered there—several hundred people in all. People from neighboring Re-Ed districts had come as well, including the ninety-fourth, the ninety-fifth, the ninety-seventh, the ninety-eighth, together with those from the ninety-first. There were more than a thousand people, all extremely agitated. There were also peasants from neighboring villages. Children and old people were up onstage. Several loudspeakers were mounted in nearby trees. Then the meeting began, and the first matter of business was the ceremonial lighting of the furnace, for which they invited a higher-up to do the honors. Fireworks went off, and amid the sound they piled kindling and oil into the furnace. The higher-up went to light it. The furnace immediately started burning bright, as flames shot into the air. Everyone gasped and applauded, astonished at the sight. Next, the higher-up offered a speech. For the third event, there was a performance, a play that had been arranged by the headquarters. The central plotline followed a professor who despised his country and had
“For this volume,” the Child said, “I’ll give you a blossom for each pair of illustrations.”
The Theologian’s eyes sparkled with delight. So it came to pass. The Theologian was awarded fifteen blossoms. He posted all fifteen above his bed, where they resembled a row of inextinguishable lights.
5. Heaven’s Child , pp. 105–11
The Child went to the district seat.
The district seat was in a big town far away. It had buildings, roads, streetlamps, and buses. The Child was commended for his declaration that they would produce fifteen thousand jin of grain per mu . He was asked to attend a district meeting, and discovered that their assembly hall was several times larger than the county’s hall and that the blossoms they awarded were also much bigger. These were silk blossoms, which naturally were better than paper ones.
When the Child arrived in the district, he found that they were overturning heaven and earth and smelting steel. The district was promoting steel production even more enthusiastically.
Originally, the ninety-ninth didn’t smelt steel. The higher-ups had wanted them to focus on growing grain and producing fifteen thousand jin per mu . They even requested that the criminals plant a model field capable of producing those fifteen thousand jin per mu , so others from neighboring Re-Ed districts could come and observe.
But now, the ninety-ninth also had to overturn heaven and earth and start smelting steel.
When the Child returned, he didn’t make a public announcement, and instead merely said, “The higher-ups have a request—which is that on a certain day of a certain month we all go to the ninety-first, which is thirty li away. They want us to watch a performance. When that day arrives, we must go.” “Can we not go?” someone asked. “Yes,” the Child replied. “But everyone who goes will be awarded two blossoms, and everyone who doesn’t will have to forfeit two blossoms.” So, everyone went. They ate breakfast early, and were issued grain for lunch. Then, they headed west. The earth was supporting their feet as they trudged westward. After they had walked about thirty li , the sun was directly overhead and that Re-Ed district appeared in the shadows. It also had buildings and a courtyard wall. What was different, however, was that between the field and the dry riverbed, there was an earthen stage, and next to that there were two mud and clay furnaces for smelting steel. The furnaces looked like typical rural limestone or brick furnaces.
On the earthen stage, there was a row of characters that read, “Overturn heaven and earth, catch up with England and surpass America!” That solemn and striking language appeared on a red placard hanging on a railing in front of the stage. The railing was sitting in the sun, and sunlight was blindingly bright, shrouding the ninety-first in a golden glow. Everyone was gathered there—several hundred people in all. People from neighboring Re-Ed districts had come as well, including the ninety-fourth, the ninety-fifth, the ninety-seventh, the ninety-eighth, together with those from the ninety-first. There were more than a thousand people, all extremely agitated. There were also peasants from neighboring villages. Children and old people were up onstage. Several loudspeakers were mounted in nearby trees. Then the meeting began, and the first matter of business was the ceremonial lighting of the furnace, for which they invited a higher-up to do the honors. Fireworks went off, and amid the sound they piled kindling and oil into the furnace. The higher-up went to light it. The furnace immediately started burning bright, as flames shot into the air. Everyone gasped and applauded, astonished at the sight. Next, the higher-up offered a speech. For the third event, there was a performance, a play that had been arranged by the headquarters. The central plotline followed a professor who despised his country and had
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